NOVEL NEXT 20. The deep dark
For the first few minutes of her solitude, Abigail sat still. Letting her body recover. Mostly to gather her strength, as some would put it. But it was more of letting the inevitable finally happen in a far healthier way than the alternative.
Which also had the added benefit of giving her time to think. Decompress and actually process what just happened. Like how she was still alive and the bandits were probably dead.
And hopefully the dragon was too.
It was, it was a lot to take in, all things considered. Like being told that she graduated early or something. Unlikely and unthought of until it happened. Which, in this case, she hoped wasn't what happened.
Sadly the only way to confirm was to get off her butt and go look. An action that took a lot more effort than it had just a day ago. Legs straining for a moment to hold her increased weight. Butt and breasts wobbling as she rose to her feet. Stopping several seconds later, after the rest of her had stilled. And starting back up again once she started moving.
Something that she was slowly starting to get used to. But for now, she put it out of her mind as she began to climb and search through the rubble. Lifting boulders one at a time and tossing them away.
Not into piles, though. Which she realized she probably should have been doing. But it was too late to stop now, so she continued. Tossing more boulders than she could count over the next few minutes.
Unsurprisingly, it got tiring quick. And right as she was about to call it quits and take a break, she heard the beginnings of a cough. By the time she found the source it had descended into a full blow fit, originating from under some of the boulders she had tossed.
Which she quickly worked to move. Throwing the rocks off of her accidental victim as fast as possible, and piling them up behind her. Until, after several minutes, she had unearthed a still breathing Baric.
"Oh, my head." The bandit said, seconds after she freed him. "What. What happened?"
"A dragon dropped the ceiling on our heads, y'know the norm. Now get up and help me look for the others."
"You think they're still alive?"
Abigail stopped, mid stride, caught in between walking away and tossing a boulder. "You're alive aren't you?"
"Suppose I am." He said, and as he spoke, he rose to his feet behind her and together they began their search.
First starting in the nearby area. Tossing rocks into small piles behind them. Each one placed where they were certain no one was buried. Each one after located further and further into the wreck of the vault. But the deeper they went, further from where they started, the less likely it seemed that anyone else had survived.
Their were no screams. No subdued movement hidden beneath the rubble. Their wasn't even a trace they had existed. It was all gone. Lost beneath the vaults remains.
And so was the spear.
"Well I guess we'll be returning empty handed." Abigail remarked as she threw yet another Boulder.
Stopping a second later as Baric placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't move." Was all he said, and Abigail froze as her eyes landed on a scale, red as scarlet, beneath the rocks.
"Is that-"
"Your dragon. I do believe so." Baric answered, eyes locked onto the same scale. "And I don't think we should continue our search here."
"Huh, do you think it's dead?" She asked, and immediately got her answer.
Unfortunately it came in the form a wriggle of movement from beneath them. The sliding of debris and rising dust as the dragon woke from its slumber. Body climbing out of the piled stone, broken columns falling off of it as it came to.
And as it rose, Abigail ran and Baric followed. Feet taking them as far as they could get in the short time they had before the dragon regained consciousness and rekindled it's assault. Which, if she had to guess, probably wasn't much time.
So, it was no surprise when, only a few moments later, the dragon let loose a mighty roar and pointed it's crimson eyes at them.
More specifically, it aimed them at her.
An anger hidden within them, as if all this destruction was her fault. Which, if she looked at it from a very specific angle...
She didn't have time to finish the thought. The dragon had moved. Jumping from where it was to her position with a single leap. It's mass coming down with all the force of a meteor. Crushing stone underfoot, and scattering debris as it landed. Barely missing Abigail as she jumped out of the way. The force of it's landing still enough to disrupt even that and launch her farther than intended.
Straight into a pile of boulders and rolling onto her back.
And as she lay there, eyes pointed up at the ceiling, she felt and heard the dragon turn. She saw a flame flickering to life in its jaws. Watched as it inhaled and prepared to release it.
Only for Baric to crash into it from the side. Spear ramming into its neck as he let loose a brutal war cry in it's ears. And in the brief second of shock, where the dragon was momentarily distracted, Abigail shot up to her feet. The ground shifting beneath her. Boulders and stone moving with her as she joined in on the attack. Kicking the dragons foot, Ardin burning inside her leg.
All she managed, though, was chipping it's nail. An insignificant amount of damage that nonetheless drew the dragon's ire. And with it came a single swipe of it's claws, swatting her away like she was nothing more than a minor annoyance.
The force of the blow carrying her even further. Deeper into the rubble.
Still, she got up and ran back at it. Ignoring the pain as she-
The dragon breathed fire. A wall of flame that came tumbling towards her. The image of her mother in its depths screaming at her to run. A memory she pushed past, and dodged to the side. Narrowly avoiding being cooked alive.
And as she did, Baric once again stabbed the dragon. Spear finding purchase in the hide of its neck. Scales breaking as a blast of wind erupted out of his weapon.
Only for the dragons fire to be turned on him seconds after ward. Barely blocked by a hastily summoned wall of wind.
And as he fell, out of the air and towards the ground, Abigail realized that she couldn't hold back if she wanted to live. The only way forward was to go all out.
That meant magic.
That primal force that ran throughout the world. Born of Ardin. Manifested by will. And for the first time in what felt like years, she willed it to answer. To come to her, not just in the form of a simple trick.
But in truth.
A cascading wave of power pouring out of her heart and into her hands. Taking shape as she visualized a spear. Simple and crude, made of water, and sharper than it had any right to be.
It coalesced in her hands over the course of the next few seconds. First a failure, barely matching what she desired. The second time it came out even worse. But like the saying went, it was on her third attempt that she her weapon.
And with it, she leapt. Soaring through the air toward the dragon's neck. Near silent as she thrust her blade forth, right into the wound that Baric had already left.
And on contact, it shattered.
Water burst in all directions. Drenching her and the dragon both. Filling the wound just as well. And as gravity gripped her, bringing her down as the dragon again turned.
Abigail flicked her fingers, and the water came to life.
It wrapped itself around the dragon's neck. Attempting to strangle it with all the ferocity of a wild animal. It's movements feral, dashing around the dragon, covering as much area as possible.
Then it squeezed down, with crushing force. The effort required to make it do so, draining. But she couldn't afford to stop. Instead she pushed it further. Till it was enough force to crush stone. The strain ripping through her arms, Ardin snaking through her veins with painful intensity.
And it was barely enough to faze the dragon. The beast simply rose up, higher, onto it's hind legs. Enough to break her grip as it once again prepared it's breath.
Heat rushing to it's jaws. An inferno boiling behind it's teeth.
Only for Baric to save the day once again. Driving his spear into its wound again. A gale of wind gathered behind him, pushing him forward, driving her spear deep.
And as Abigail hit the ground, landing on unsteady feet, she twisted her fingers, changing the tides once more. A deluge of water rushing to the wound and pulling it open. Forcing it's way in.
Making the dragon scream as the two attacks overwhelmed it's defenses. Both targeting the only weak point they could. Pressuring it, pulling at it, deepening it until at last something snapped. And whatever it was, it was too much for the dragon to bear.
All it could manage being a final whimper before it fell to the ground dead.
Abigail fell with it. Down, face first, to the ground. Utterly exhausted and too pained to feel like breathing.
Several seconds passing like that before Baric staggered over to her and sat down.
"Just so you know," he said, voice heavy with exhaustion. "That was a drake. Not a dragon."
Abigail groaned. "Well I hope I never meet an actual dragon. Or anything worse. Or another drake at all, actually."